Apart from the bionicles Mickey’s big thing at the moment is star wars. He still wants to go to Hogwarts and be a wizard, rather than a Jedi, when he grows up but that may change. Interestingly on my statistics list there was an recent thread about the Australian census. Apparently a large number of…

Recently a pair of white collared seed eaters (Sporophila torqeola) have been seen, but not yet photographed, feeding around the house. They are common in cattle pastures in the lowlands and seem to move up into the highlands in the summer.

A mass of Phyllophaga beatles below the light. Most are males, although a few find females and mate. Their larvae are serious crop pests in the region. 

Large nuumbers of gallina ciega or May bugs (Phyllophaga spp) are in the air at night following the first heavy rain. The males, and to a lesser extent females, are attracted to light. 

We have recently had quite a few scorpions visit the house. They like warmth and stones and so our patio suits them. The species found in our region don’t kill you, but they do sting worse than a bee. Fortunately you have to really annoy them to get them to attack.  

Today was “el día del niño” in Mexico. Mickey had already celebrated the event at school and didn’t go to any special parties (for a change!). But he did get the red Bionicle he had been wanting for the last month as a present. He’s getting very handy at putting his toys together and had…

Adriana has been feeling much more comfortable in the last few days. Mickey, as always, has been helping to keep us on track. He decided to play football with me when I got back from work today, which pleased Adriana no end. She thinks we both need all the exercise we can get. Mickey looked…

Thank you to Grandpa and Granny Pat for new additions to the garden. We are slowly turning the wasteland that was left after the builders had finished into something more colourful. Making hanging baskets from petunias is a good quick fix, but we really want to get the flowering shrubs going this year. 

The good news this weekend is that there is no no news. The pregancy shows all the signs of settling down to normality, although Adriana still has a lot of discomfort (euphamism for nasty pains). The strain of the last few weeks has shown, but Mickey cheerfulness as always keeps us both on the strait…

The garden is starting to look a bit more cheerful. 

We had put off telling Mickey about the pregancy because of the doubts surrounding it. We told him there might be a baby but you never can tell with babies. But just about half an hour ago he decided for himself, after overhearing various conversations and studying the matter, that there is definitely a baby…

Another view of the (nearly) finished kitchen. Those who saw it before the new carpentry was put in will realise why we are so happy with the change. We can be organised at last! 

The big news for us at the moment is clearly the pregnancy. A quick update. On the second of March Adriana went for a check as she had missed a period and felt very uncomfortable. The ultra sound scans showed two fertilised embryos, around four to five weeks old. Two weeks (17 March) later a…

This photo was taken in Toluca over Easter. Mickey prepared well to take on all comers before heading off on the great egg hunt. 

This photograph shows a very typical state of the mixed pine oak forest at this time of year. The hawthorn bushes in the pastures are in full leaf. Pines are beginning the new season’s growth and in moister areas the oaks are in new leaf. Many still retain last years foliage. However oaks on the…

This year forest fires have been rare.Some early spring rains have helped to lower risk. Nevertheless, as this photograph shows, fuel buid up in poorly managed (unmanaged) pine plantations do make some severe fires inevitable if ignition occurs. By April the highlands have experienced three months without any meaningful rainfall, and temperatures are now above…

Another photo of a eastern bluebird. Bluebirds are very active in the open pasture areas at this time of year, usually in groups of 3-5 birds.

A female Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus). Not as brightly coloured as the male, but still attractive. 

The Empidonax group of flycatchers are some of the hardest birds to identify to species. Much depends on a combination of small details, range and voice. All the signs suggest that this common small bird is the Pine Flycatcher Empidonax affinis. Again this picture was taken rather earlier in the year, but the species is…

The Vermilion Flycatcher is one of the most atractive small birds of open areas in the Highlands. This male was photgraphed in February, but the species can be seen throughtout the year feeding from perches on fence posts and shrubs.  

A bronzed or red eyed cowbird (Molothus aenus). Smaller than the much commoner sonate (Great tailed grackle). This is a brood parasite like the cuckoo. This individual was a member of a flock of six. They form much larger flocks in winter.  

Another view of the senecio. The shrub occasionally reaches a height of 4m, but is usually 1-2m high. It is shade intolerant and typical of road verges, lightly grazed pastures and other open areas. 

This is one of the commonest species of orchid in the highlands (I will check the name). It flowers all through the spring and summer, usually starting rather later than this. The orchid is usualy found as an epiphyte on old oak trees, but can be terrestrial. 

The senecio blooms are short lived.By early April the bushes have a scruffy look and are producing thousands of wind dispersed seeds. 

The kitchen looks a lot tidier now the alcoves have been turned into proper cupboards.